Teacher Impacts of the RET Teacher Impacts of the RET Program: Program:

Survey Results from Six Survey Results from Six SitesSites

Suzanne Coshow, Ph.D.Suzanne Coshow, Ph.D.Joint Institute for Nuclear AstrophysicsJoint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics

University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame

Presented at the ADMIRE 2003 ConferencePresented at the ADMIRE 2003 Conference

Why Surveys?Why Surveys?

generalizablegeneralizable

validity & reliabilityvalidity & reliability

relatively objective indicators (compared with relatively objective indicators (compared with qualitative methods)qualitative methods)

feasible for different sitesfeasible for different sites

lets us conclude with confidence --more so than lets us conclude with confidence --more so than with other qualitative methodswith other qualitative methods

The Surveys Employed to Evaluate The Surveys Employed to Evaluate RETRET

Pre-SurveyPre-Survey

Post SurveyPost Survey

Mentor SurveyMentor Survey

Pre Survey:Pre Survey:

Current Teaching Current Teaching target course, course preparation, text use, & target course, course preparation, text use, &

assessment of studentsassessment of studentsAttitudes and Beliefs about TeachingAttitudes and Beliefs about TeachingBackground and ExperienceBackground and ExperienceCharacteristics/DemographicsCharacteristics/Demographics

Post Survey:Post Survey:

What did you do and learn during your What did you do and learn during your RET experience?RET experience?

How satisfied were you with your RET How satisfied were you with your RET experience?experience?

Overall conclusionsOverall conclusions

Mentor Survey:Mentor Survey:

Preparation for the RET programPreparation for the RET program

Evaluation of the TeacherEvaluation of the Teacher

Conclusions about the program and Conclusions about the program and teacherteacher

RESULTS: RESULTS: Participant Post SurveyParticipant Post Survey

Q3: How SATISIFIED were you with different Q3: How SATISIFIED were you with different aspects of your RET experience?aspects of your RET experience?

Q4: Rating the MENTOR Q4: Rating the MENTOR

Q10: Overall Rating of RET ProgramQ10: Overall Rating of RET Program

Q11: Would you recommend RET?Q11: Would you recommend RET?

Q3a: How satisfied were you with the materials and information you were given before your RET

experience?

2%

9%

40%

49%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3b: How satisfied were you with the orientation you received when you began the work experience?

0%

7%

38%

56%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3c: How satisfied were you with the expertise and helpfullness of RET management in answering

questions and problem solving?

0%2%

22%

76%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3d: How satisfied were you with your relationship with your mentor?

0%

9%

22%

69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

e

Q3e: How satisifed were you with the opportunity to participate as a member of a team?

0%

7%

18%

76%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3f: How satisfied were you with the opportunity to ask questions of the staff at the worksite?

0%2%

20%

78%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3g: How satisfied were you with the opportunity to interact and discuss issues with other employees at the

site?

0%

9%11%

80%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q3h: How satisfied were you with the availability and quality of resources, materials, and equipment?

0%2%

18%

80%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

not at all slightly moderately very

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4a: Rate your mentor's preparation for your arrival

9%

16%

42%

33%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4b: Rate your mentor's knowledge and support of the goals of the RET

2%

16%

29%

53%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4c: Rate your mentor's knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of teachers in your field

4%

17%

33%

46%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4d: Rate your mentor's interest in helping you develop a plan to improve education in science,

mathematics, or technology

4%

22%24%

49%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4e: Rate your mentor's committment to providing opportunities for you to learn and gain expertise in new areas

11%

4%

20%

64%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q4f: Rate your mentor's ability to communicate information and expectations clearly

9%

2%

31%

58%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

poor satisfactory good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q10: As a professional development program for teachers, how would you rate the RET program in which

you participated?

0% 0%2%

27%

71%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

poor fair good very good excellent

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

Q11: Will you recommend the RET program to your teacher colleagues?

0% 0%

9%

91%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

no not sure probably definitely

per

cen

t o

f sa

mp

le

What do we learn from these What do we learn from these Surveys?Surveys?

The RET program is doing what was The RET program is doing what was expected → SUCCESSexpected → SUCCESS

Therefore, it is likely that expansions of the Therefore, it is likely that expansions of the RET program will lead to similarly positive RET program will lead to similarly positive resultsresults

What’s missing?What’s missing?

details & complexitydetails & complexity

““how” things were done, e.g., how RET how” things were done, e.g., how RET experiences were incorporated into the experiences were incorporated into the classroomclassroom

offshoots from the program that were not offshoots from the program that were not anticipated, like Quarknet’s/ND’s Monday anticipated, like Quarknet’s/ND’s Monday Meetings for teachersMeetings for teachers

How can we improve on the How can we improve on the evaluation of the RET program?evaluation of the RET program?

add basic demographics to Post Survey - add basic demographics to Post Survey - this will increase our confidence in the this will increase our confidence in the results;results;

reduce size of Pre-Survey, streamline so reduce size of Pre-Survey, streamline so that we can better identify the effects of that we can better identify the effects of the RET program; and,the RET program; and,

How can we improve on the How can we improve on the evaluation of the RET program?evaluation of the RET program?

compliment surveys with in-depth compliment surveys with in-depth interviewing and/or focus groups:interviewing and/or focus groups:

to get at details & complexity to get at details & complexity

to answer the “how” questionto answer the “how” question

to identify unanticipated effects of the programto identify unanticipated effects of the program

The Joint Institute for The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics Nuclear Astrophysics

(JINA)(JINA)

www.JINAweb.orgwww.JINAweb.org